CULTURE, IDENTITY AND TRADITIONS

Scottish people are proud of their nationality but they also have a long tradition of welcoming new people and cultures. Historically, Scotland has appreciated the benefits of embracing different cultures.

Today, Scotland is a richly diverse country with dozens of different cultures living in harmony. Tolerance, equality of opportunity and social justice are important principles of Scottish people and communities.

We love a party

Scotland knows how to party – and extends an invitation to all. From large Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve) street parties and music and film festivals to more intimate Burns’ Suppers and St Andrew’s Day celebrations, there is always a fun event to attend.

Getting together, sharing good times, ‘having a blether’ and welcoming others with open arms give Scotland its reputation for being a happy and friendly country.

Really, it’s no wonder that 50 million people around the world claim Scottish ancestry – and so many want to be a part of our Scottish family.

In this section, you’ll find all the facts about Scotland you need to know, including information about  the Scottish population, their language as well as famous Scottish people.

Scotland has been handing down its traditions for close to a thousand years now, since the earliest days of the clans in the 12th century. However, Scottish traditions are not something sterile under glass and steel in a cold museum. They are vibrant, living things, constantly growing and evolving, and every generation adds the thumbprint of its own particular Scottish culture to the whole.

Bagpipes, haggis and kilts

Everybody knows the cliché of the piper on the shortbread tin. But have you experienced the breath-taking reality of a hundred pipers skirling in uplifting unison? This isn't an image from Scotland's cultural past: it happens every August at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and on Glasgow Green.

Or take food, for example. We all know the stereotypical notions of traditional Scottish fare - haggis, porridge and whisky. Not anymore. Scotland's new elite of super-chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Nick Nairn and Andrew Fairlie are taking the country's incredible natural produce – our beef, venison and seafood – and elevating them to Michelin starred levels.

      

Or that the kilt is making a comeback on the catwalk as designers like Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood and Glasgow's own Jonathan Saunders take traditional Scottish dress to places the clan chiefs never dreamed of.

Burns an a' that

The traditional Burns Supper, Hogmanay and St Andrews Day celebrations are still very much a part of Scottish culture but the Scots are now joined on these special days by Scot-o-philes across the globe. "Auld Lang Syne", a traditional Scottish song first written down by Burns, is the second most popular song in the world after "Happy Birthday".